Introduction to Deuteronomy 28:3
Deuteronomy 28:3 opens the list of blessings promised to Israel for obedience. The verse consists of two parallel clauses, both beginning with בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה. The repetition of the second person pronoun אַתָּה in the same syntactic position draws attention to the formulaic and emphatic structure of the blessing. This lesson focuses on the syntax of second person pronoun placement in Biblical Hebrew, particularly in blessing and curse formulas, and its relationship to Hebrew parallelism.
בָּר֥וּךְ אַתָּ֖ה בָּעִ֑יר וּבָר֥וּךְ אַתָּ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃
Analysis of Key Words and Structures
- בָּר֥וּךְ (barukh) – Passive participle, masculine singular, from the root ברך (“to bless”). As a stative participle, it functions adjectivally: “blessed.” The participle appears at the beginning for emphasis and blessing declaration.
- אַתָּ֖ה (attah) – Independent second person masculine singular pronoun: “you.” Its placement after the participle but before the prepositional phrase is typical in blessing and curse formulas to emphasize the recipient.
- בָּעִ֑יר (baʿir) – Prepositional phrase: בְּ + עִיר (“in the city”). The definite article is present via the assimilation in בָּ־. It indicates the location where the blessing applies.
- וּבָר֥וּךְ (uvarukh) – The conjunction וְ + בָּרוּךְ, marking continuation and parallelism in the second clause.
- בַּשָּׂדֶֽה (basadeh) – Prepositional phrase: בְּ + שָׂדֶה (“field”), with the definite article assimilated into the preposition. Like בָּעִיר, it provides a contrasting location.
Emphatic Pronoun Syntax and Poetic Parallelism
The formula בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה exemplifies fixed syntactic patterns used in declarative blessings throughout Biblical Hebrew. While Hebrew typically follows a verb–subject–object structure in verbal clauses, stative participle clauses like this one often feature the participle followed by an independent pronoun for emphasis.
– Structure:
בָּרוּךְ (Blessed) → אַתָּה (you) → [location]
This word order is not arbitrary. It creates a fronted predicate (the blessing status) and places the pronoun in a secondary but focal position. The blessing is declared first, and then the recipient is clarified.
Moreover, the verse showcases synthetic parallelism, a feature of Hebrew poetry and prose that strengthens meaning through mirrored structure:
– בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה בָּעִיר
– וּבָרוּךְ אַתָּה בַּשָּׂדֶה
Both lines are identical in form, changing only the final noun to contrast “city” and “field.” This literary technique affirms that the blessing is not bound to geography but universally applicable—wherever the subject (Israel) may be.
In Biblical Hebrew, this type of identical pronoun repetition is not redundant. Rather, it reinforces the subject’s inclusion in the entire scope of the blessing. It also adds a solemn, liturgical rhythm, fitting for covenantal declarations.
How Hebrew Pronoun Syntax and Parallelism Enrich Covenant Blessings
The structure of Deuteronomy 28:3 reveals the theological and poetic strength embedded in Hebrew grammar. The positioning of the independent pronoun אַתָּה after the blessing term בָּרוּךְ and the repetition across parallel clauses reinforce the universality and personal nature of the blessing. Every place—city or field—falls under the covenantal favor.
Linguistically, this highlights how Biblical Hebrew uses pronoun positioning to focus attention on the recipient of divine action, while syntactic parallelism intensifies memorability and thematic unity. Such patterns are typical in liturgical and covenantal texts, emphasizing not just what is said, but how it is structured. Grammar thus becomes theology—declaring not just that Israel is blessed, but that the blessing pervades all domains of life.
